Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Feature by: Dr. John Johnson, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence

The Inclusive Excellence Awards include a cash gift and highlight actions and efforts that reflect the principles of inclusive excellence we espouse. If you know someone who has been a supporter of a minoritized community, has advocated for the needs and concerns of those most impacted by systemic oppression, has developed a process to make the Whitman experience more equitable and inclusive, or has cultivated spaces for belonging or affirmation—consider nominating them for an Inclusive Excellence Award. 

Additional information about the awards can be found on the Campus Awards webpage. Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Awards will be announced at the Inclusive Excellence Awards and Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, April 3.

Inclusive Excellence Council:
Whitman College is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Inclusive Excellence Council (IEC). Guided by a set of inclusive excellence principles and a charge from President Bolton, the IEC is a campuswide committee of individuals selected to help advance diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism and accessibility (DEIAA) at Whitman. The IEC is chaired by the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and functions as an extension of the Division of Inclusive Excellence. Individuals selected to serve on the IEC form an institutional DEIAA brain trust, contributing to divisional and institutional efforts to advance inclusive excellence. The IEC is responsible for Community Learning Days, Microlessons and Skillshops, DEIA Cultivation Grants, Inclusive Excellence Awards and other activities. 

Council members serve a one- or two- year term and are expected to dedicate approximately two hours per week to IEC-related duties. The cabinet reviews the nominations and approves all appointments to the council. If you are interested in contributing to institutional DEIAA efforts and helping advance inclusive excellence, consider nominating yourself or a colleague to serve on the Inclusive Excellence Council. 

Additional information about the IEC can be found on the IEC webpage. Nominations are open until Sunday, March 16. 

This week is Data Privacy Week (Jan. 27–31), an international effort to empower individuals to respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust. 

For Whitman College, the emphasis on data privacy is important, as the college serves as a custodian of a wide range of data, most of which is categorized as sensitive data. To mitigate these risks, the college has measures in place to ensure data privacy, security and privacy compliance.

One action everyone in the community can do to protect data privacy is to keep sensitive information out of email. Whitman offers a secure method of sharing sensitive information that is available for all to use.  Using Whitman Single Sign-On (SSO) login credentials in combination with this secure file transfer system helps ensure the protection of sensitive data and compliance to privacy standards.

Please explore the information and resources available from the Data Privacy Week website and send any questions you have to iso@whitman.edu.

Human Resources recently announced a new Whitman Home Ownership Benefit program, designed to improve housing affordability by partnering with employees to increase their down payment, reducing monthly payments and avoiding costly private mortgage insurance. Two presentations this week in Maxey Auditorium will provide more information. 

Virtual attendance is available, and the presentations will also be recorded.

The Center for Global Studies will present the next event in the yearlong Press in Times of Peril series on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. in Maxey Auditorium. Renowned journalist M. Gessen will deliver a talk titled “Censorship, Silence and Resistance.” Gessen is the author of 11 books, including “The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia” and “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin.” (Flyer attached.)

Harper Joy Theatre will present the annual Studio Series this weekend, with three works of contemporary performance, each ticketed separately.

A discussion with the artists will follow each performance. Free tickets are available to Whitman students.

Do you experience social anxiety and want to learn effective coping skills and find motivation to move forward to greater connections? The Counseling Center will facilitate Moving Forward With Social Anxiety, a weekly, no-commitment counseling group, on Fridays beginning on Friday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. in the Welty Student Health Center. (Flyer attached.)

Michael Baumgartner (pictured, fourth from left), newly elected to his first term representing the 5th Congressional District of Washington in the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Walla Walla this week. His stop included Whitman College, where he met with a group of students who asked questions about higher education accessibility and affordability among other issues. See more photos on Instagram.

12:10–12:50 p.m.

Movement That Matters: Strength & Stretch

Sherwood Athletic Center

1:30–2:30 p.m.

Open Office Hours: Staff Advisory Council

Reid Campus Center Café

4 p.m.

Employee Webinar: Home Ownership Benefit

Virtual Event

5:30–6:30 p.m.

Spring Into Walla Walla

Olin Hall, Room 241

7 p.m.

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

Cordiner Hall

7–8:30 p.m.

Contra Dance

Cordiner Hall

7 p.m.

SJP Film Series: “Boycott”

Olin Hall, Room 233

Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.

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